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California is evolving to a new system of testing and accountability that will weigh eight priorities, including school climate and parent engagement, to judge school progress. An education law, passed in 2013, orders a new generation of computer-based standardized tests, starting with Common Core assessments of English language arts and math in 2015.
Dozens of districts are offering the tests at their own expense already, because scores on SAT and ACT, not Smarter Balanced, are what matters to high school juniors.
Superintendents say free college readiness testing for all would raise SAT/ACT scores and boost college admissions. Opponents say AB 1951 would undermine the usefulness of high school testing.
Linda Darling-Hammond, chair of teacher credentialing commission, calls the state assessment out of date and not a good predictor of classroom performance.
State Board also votes to continue exploring a way to measure a school’s impact on student learning. Advocates say a “growth model" will be more precise than the method the state uses now.
Student advocacy groups and academics are seeking to adopt a model other states use to calculate the impact of students’ test score growth, but state staff urge patience.
Bill would modify the Local Control Funding Formula to add money for the lowest-performing student group; it could violate the law barring preferential treatment based on race or ethnicity.
